A paedophile labelled a high risk of sexually abusing more children has been freed to live in the dementia unit of a south-east Queensland nursing home.
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Denis Winston, 69, would be housed in a secure area of the greater Brisbane area facility, reducing his risk of reoffending to an acceptable level, according to a Supreme Court of Queensland decision made in November last year and published on Tuesday.
He had been behind bars for almost 21 years on a string of child sex offences committed in the mid-'90s when Justice Martin Burns ruled he should be released, detailing a list of security measures aimed at preventing him from reoffending.
Winston was first convicted in January 1996 and after reoffending was eventually sentenced to 12 years behind bars on a string of child sex offences.
They included maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 12 and carnal knowledge and anal intercourse with someone under 12.
He was declared a dangerous sexual offender in 2009 and ordered to face indefinite detention until appropriate care and treatment could be arranged, guaranteeing community safety.
In a recent report, expert psychiatrist Dr Scott Harden said placement in the dementia unit of a nursing home could reduce the paedophile's risk of reoffending to low.
Queensland Corrective Services' High Risk Offender Management Unit started looking for appropriate accommodation "some time ago", according to the judgment, and the Office of the Public Guardian approved the nursing home in October.
Winston would be housed in the dementia unit of the home, which needed a PIN to be accessed, and not allowed to leave except in an emergency.
Children could not access the unit and the home, which was not named but was about 900 metres from the nearest childcare centre, school or shopping centre, was surrounded by a six-foot fence and gated.
Winston was described as a "high-needs" patient, suffering from paedophelia and advancing dementia, with a "high risk of reoffending sexually" despite his age.
"It would have been obvious to all those involved in the search for accommodation that, had they not succeeded, this man would have no hope of being released, given the current expression of opinion from the psychiatrists," Justice Burns wrote.
"Because they have been successful, they should be thanked for the work they have done because it means that this man can finally be released from custody (albeit under very strict supervision) after almost 21 years."
Winston is still considered a serious danger to the community without adequate supervision and the restrictive ongoing supervision order covers him until November 16, 2027.
Along with restrictions on where he must live, the paedophile must not drink, maintain contact with children with or without supervision and ask QCS before using a computer or the internet.
The judge wrote that he was satisfied the measures in place adequately protected the community.
